Wire-clamp



s s. MATTHES. WIRE CLAMP. APPLICATION FILED SEPT 30. I920. 1,367,619. Patented Feb. 8,1921.

ga'wc/wtoc SAM/15L S. MATT/{3 1 0 m fi 8 V W3. Q Mum 2% M F n v H e M W w UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcEf SAMUEL S. MATTHES, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGIIOR TO THE OHIO BRASS COMPANY, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

WIRE-CLAMP.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL S. MATTHns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mansfield, in the county of Ptichland and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tire-Clamps of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in supports for trolley wires and particularly those devices generally known as trolley wire clamps.

One object of my invention is to provide a clamp which is simple in construction and easy to assemble in the manufacture; another object is to provide a clamp which is simple in its installation upon the trolley wire and support to which it is attached and efficient in supporting the trolley wire.

The invention consists substantially in the construction, combination, location and arrangement of parts, all of which will be 7 more fully hereinafter set forth, and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation view of my device in partial section and when the parts are in such relation that the jaws may be expanded or opened to their fullest extent.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of Fig. 1 on the line 2-2.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of my device showing the parts in such relation as to clamp upon a trolley wire.

Fig.' 4 shows a detail in construction which I use in assembling my device and maintaining the parts assembled until installed upon a wire.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

I provide two complementary jaw members 1--1 and a support member 2 for the device. Means 3 is provided on the support 1 member for securing the device to an overhead support and I have shown this means as an ordinary screw thread which is the most common practice in supporting devices of this character. 7

To the lower end of the support member is an inverted T shaped projection forming a shelf member 41 secured to the support member by the bridging member 5. The

jaws 1 are provided with inwardly projectmg supporting members 6 which rest upon the shelf member 4 andpivot or fulcrum at point of contact. The jaw members are also Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

Application filed September 30, 1920. Serial No. 413,847.

provided with retaining members 7 which engage, with the inner and lower edge of the collar 8 and through this engagement are prevented from being disassembled. The jaw members 1 are also provided with a beveled or conical face 9 which engages with a corresponding face 10 on the collar. The parts 9 and 10 coacting together perform the functions of further preventing the disassembly of the jaws when the collar is moved upwardly to its extreme heightand also causethe jaws to grip the trolley wire 17 when the collar member is moved downwardly relatively to the jaws and support member.

At the upper end of the collar is a flange 11 which engages with the lower face of the flange 12 and stops the upward movement of the collar with respect to the support member. r

The jaws are further provided at their lower end with means 13 properly formed to engage with a trolley wire and the inner facesof the jaws are provided with horizontal projecting members 14 and 15 which coact with each other to prevent side movement of the jaws relatively to each other and to maintain them better inalinement. The space'A. in Fig. 1 is occupied by the projecting member 14; on the near side clamp which has been cut away.

In order to assemble this device readily and after assembly to prevent the parts from becoming disassembled, I provide the flange 11 to engage with the flange 12 and the flange 11 is first prepared as shown by V brought nearer. together by the distance shown by the letter B in Fig. 2.

The member 8 is first screwed on to the member 2 until the face 16 contacts with the flange 12. This permits ample room for positioning the jaws 1 in place upon the bridge member 4:. The collar 8 is then screwed downward 'until the upper edge of the flange 11 clears the lower face of the flange 12 and then by proper manlpulatlng, the flange 11 is caused. to be moved 1nwardly until :11) underlaps the flange .12.

This manipulation is brought about by pressing upon the flange 11 by suitable dies or by revolvingthe same in a machine with a tool pressing against the outer edge of the flange 11? thereby forcing it inward. When the flange 11 has been forced inward a proper distance the collar 8 can be moved upwardly until the flange 11 engages with the flange 12 and the jaws will still beheld in an assembled position. (See Fig. 2.)

To assemble the device upon an overhead support and a trolley wire, it is only necessary to rotate the device with the means 3 in engagement with the overhead support until the flange 12 is brought into contact with the face of the hanger or support. If the jaws 13, are now not in alinement with the trolley wire the device is backed off sufliciently to bring about this alinement. The trolley wire 17 is now positioned between the jaws and the collar 8 is rotated and through the medium of the coacting thread upon the collar and supporting memher the collar is moved downwardly and the parts 9 and 10 engaged, forcing the jaws into engagement with the trolley wire. To bring about a further secure engagement between the jaws and the trolley wire, a wrench is now applied to the collar 8 and by means or" the polygonal faces 18 on the collar suflicient-force may be applied to cause the jaws to positively and securely grip the wire 17.

There are many modifications which will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and I do not wish to be limited otherwise than by the following claims.

Claims 1. A wire support comprising a supporting member, means to secure the member to a support or hanger, clampingmeans to engage and ho d a conductonmeans on the supporting member to engage means on the clampingmeans and permitting a pivotal action therebetween so that the clamping means can be moved into engagement with the conductor, a collar exterior of the supporting member, means on the supporting member engaging means on the collar causing the collar to move relatively to the clamping means when the collar is rotated in either direction, means on the collar to en gage means onvthe clamping means to move theclamping means into engagement with the conductor when the collar is rotated in one direction and move the collar out of engagement with the clamping means to permit the clamping means to move out of engagement with the conductor when: rotatedin the opposite direction, means on the clamping means to engage the collar to pre vent the removal of the clamping means from its engagement relative to the supporting member and means on the co lar engaging means. on the supporting member to limit the relative movement of the parts in one direction. j p

2. A wire support comprising a support ing member, means to secure the member to a support or hanger, clamping means to engage and hold a conductor, means on the V clamping means to engage the supporting" member in pivotal relation, a collar arranged to move relatively to the supporting member in either direction when rotated relatively to the supporting member, means on the collar to engage the clamping means to move the clamping means into engagement with the conductor when the collar is rotated relatively to the supporting member in. one direction, means on the collar to engage the supporting member to limit the movement of the collar away from the clamping means when the collar is rotated in the opposite direction and means on the clamping means to engage the collar to prevent disengagement ofthe clamping means relatively to the other parts.

3. A wire clampv comprising. a supporting member, means to secure the member to a support or hanger, clamping meansto engage and support a'conductor and having a pivotal engagement with the supporting member, a collar movable relatively to the supporting member and clamping means when rotated relatively thereto to move the collar into and out of engagement with the clamping means to operate the clamping means, means on the clamping means to engage the collar to prevent the disengagement of the clamping means, means interposed be tween the collar and supporting member after assembly of the above parts to maintain the parts against separation.

4. A wire support comprising a supporting member, means to secure the member to a support or hanger, a pair of clamping jaws to engage and hold a condnctonmeans projecting from the supporting member and engaging means on the jawmembers in a pivotal relation, a collar movable longitudinally and relatively to the supporting mem her and rotatable relativelytheretoto move the collar into and out of engagement with the clamping jaws tooperate the j aws, a beveled exterior surface on each aw to engage a corresponding interior surface of thecol ar to operate the jaws, and means on the collar projecting inwardly to engage the support ing member to maintain the parts together after assembling.

5. A wire support comprising in combination a supporting member, means to secure the member to a support or hangenjaws secured to the supporting member and an opcrating collar to move the jaws and means on the collar adapted to be turned inwardly after assembly of the parts and engage. the support member, to lock the parts again separation,-

6. A wire support comprising in combination a supporting member, means to secure the member to a support or hanger, jaws secured to the supporting member, an operating collar to move the jaws into engagement with a wire and means adapted to be bent over after the parts have been assembled to limit the relative longitudinal movement of the support member and operating collar.

7. A wire support comprising in combination a supporting member, means to secure the member to a support or hanger, a pair of jaws secured to the supporting member, an operating collar to move the jaws into engagement with the wire and cooperating means on each jaw adjacent the point of engagement with a wire to prevent relative movement of the jaws at their lower edge.

8. A wire clamp comprising in combination a supporting member, means to secure the member to a support; or hanger, an inverted T-shaped member depending from the supporting member, jaws mounted to fulcrum on the inverted T member, means or. the T-shaped member to engage means on the jaws to prevent relative rotation of the said member and jaws, an operating collar to move the jaws into engagement with a wire, and means to prevent the separation of the parts after assembl In testimony whereoi I atfix my signature.

SAMUEL S. MATTHES. 

